ENSEMBLE THEATRE CINCINNATI D. Lynn Meyers, Producing Artistic Director
BOB: A LIFE IN FIVE ACTS by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb Directed by Ben Raanan July 11, 12, & 13, 2019 Stage Manager Resident Set & Lighting Designer Scenic Designer & Scenic Charge Artist Costume Designer Sound Designer Properties Master Production Manager Technical Director Assistant Technical Director Fight Choreographer & Fight Captain Movement Captain
Josh Neumeyer Brian c. Mehring Rachel Kuhn Stormie Mac Matt Callahan Shannon Rae Lutz Matthew Hollstegge Jack Murphy Chris Holloway Ben Jacobs Zoe Rose Davidson
THE CAST Bob (Act III)......................................................Ian Patrick Ashwell Chorus One.............................................................Emily Chodan Bob (Acts I & V)/Helen.................................. Esther Cunningham Chorus Two.....................................................Zoe Rose Davidson Bob (Act IV)................................................................. Ben Jacobs Chorus Three.............................................. Kayla Marie Klammer Chorus Four........................................................ Sara Ringenbach Bob (Act II)................................................................... Jake Stibbe Special Acknowledgements: Kevin Murphy ETC Staff
Approximate total running time is 2 hours, 15 minutes with one intermission. BOB: A LIFE IN FIVE ACTS is presented by special arrangement with DRAMATISTS PLAY SERVICE, INC., New York. Originally commissioned and developed by South Coast Repertory. BOB was developed with the support of Playwrights Foundation, San Francisco, (Amy L. Mueller, Artistic Director). World premiere in the 2011 Humana Festival of New American Plays at ACTORS THEATRE OF LOUISVILLE.
The photographing, video and/or audio recording of this performance is strictly prohibited.
THE CAST IAN PATRICK ASHWELL (Bob, Act III) is stoked to be a part of this production, one of the funniest shows he’s read in years. He is a Cincinnati-based actor and graduated from Wright State University with a BFA in Acting. Mr. Ashwell would like to thank his mother, grandmother, and grandfather for their amazing support and love, Shannon Rae Lutz for her love and leadership, and the apprentice company for an awesome year. www.ianpatrickashwell.com
EMILY CHODAN (Chorus One) is over the moon about the opportunity to play on Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati’s stage, topping off her apprenticeship with such a heartwarming and hilarious show! Originally from Columbus, IN, she received her BFA in Acting from Wright State University where some of her favorite credits include The Music Man, Heathers, 9 to 5, and Urinetown. She understudied at ETC in Fly by Night, Alice in Wonderland, Ripcord, A Doll’s House, Part 2, and The Wolves. After her time in Cincinnati, Ms. Chodan plans to continue her career as an actor in New York City where she hopes to further involve herself in comedic projects. She would like to thank D. Lynn Meyers, Shannon Rae Lutz, and the rest of the Ensemble family for the gift of such incredible opportunities, experiences, and memories!
ESTHER CUNNINGHAM (Helen/Bob, Act I & V) is rhapsodic to be onstage with her fellow apprentice company at Ensemble Theatre, where her credits include A Doll’s House, Part 2 and understudy roles in Fly by Night and Alice in Wonderland. Offstage, she works with the ETC Education Department as a teaching assistant for the Hunter Heartbeat Program. She is a graduate of Wheaton College with a BA in Theater, where some of her favorite credits include Julius Caesar, The Sparrow, and Bertolt Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Ms. Cunningham would like to thank her teachers/ mentors/friends Jared, Miranda, and Susan for their generous encouragement, her fellow apprentices for their inspiration and support, and her family for their constant love. Amo vos.
THE CAST, continued ZOE ROSE DAVIDSON (Chorus Two) is ebullient to be closing out her year as an acting apprentice with this production! She was last seen at Ensemble Theatre in Alice in Wonderland and understudied roles in Fly by Night, A Dolls House, Part 2, and The Wolves. Her favorite theatre credits include Crazy for You, La Liaisons Dangereuses, and Comedy of Errors. Ms. Davidson spent a year touring the country as a figure skater with Disney on Ice Presents: Princesses and Heroes, playing characters such as Tinkerbell and Snow White. She holds a BA in Theatre with minors in Dance and Art History from Bucknell University. She would like to send endless thanks to Shannon, Lynn, Brandon, Lexi, Ben, and all the crazy kids with her onstage. www.zoerosedavidson.com
BEN JACOBS (Bob, Act IV) is thrilled to be back onstage at Ensemble Theatre. He is originally from Mobile, Alabama, where he attended the University of South Alabama. He has been acting professionally for eight years and has performed in multiple touring shows up and down the east coast, as well as one international tour through sixte en countries. In his free time, he enjoys quiet nights spent with loved ones. He would like to thank his supportive parents, friends, and ETC for giving him the opportunity to perform.
KAYLA MARIE KLAMMER (Chorus Three) is a member of Ensemble Theatre’s 2018-2019 Professional Acting Apprenticeship Program. Originally from small town rural Nebraska, she graduated from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with a double major in Theatre Performance and Dance. After graduation, she performed throughout the country with different theaters, and spent seven months in Costa Rica interning for a nonprofit organization. She made her ETC mainstage debut in The Wolves and understudied roles in Fly by Night, Ripcord, and A Doll’s House, Part 2. She has also worked with the ETC Education Department this season as a teaching assistant for the Hunter Heartbeat Program. She sends love to her sweet family and friends for always supporting her from near and far. www.kaylamarieklammer.com
THE CAST, continued SARA RINGENBACH (Chorus Four) is electrified to be wrapping up her Ensemble Theatre apprenticeship with this production. A local actor, she has understudied roles at ETC in The Wolves, A Doll’s House, Part 2, Ripcord, Alice in Wonderland, and St. Nicholas. She studied at Xavier University where some of her credits include The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised], Into the Woods, Miss Julie, and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. Ms. Ringenbach would like to thank Shannon, Brandon, Lexi, Ben, Josh, Matty, Lynn, her fellow apprentices, and her mother for putting up with her all year because she’s a lot.
JAKE STIBBE (Bob, Act II) is positively exuberant to be sharing the Ensemble Theatre stage with his fellow apprentices! He had an absolute blast being a part of the ETC family this season and can’t think of a better piece to cap off his apprenticeship. He was seen onstage at ETC in Alice in Wonderland, as well as understudy roles in Fly by Night and Ripcord. Last summer, Mr. Stibbe toured the country with Hampstead Stage Company where he performed in Treasure Island and American Folktales & Songs. Some of his professional credits include Here and There, Central Square Theater/ Underground Railway Theater; The Buddy Holly Story, Hackmatack Playhouse; Hello, Dolly! and The Night the Music Died, Texas Family Musicals Inc; and Bare: A Pop Opera, Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He holds a BFA in Acting from Emerson College. He would like to thank Shannon, Lynn, Brandon, Lexi, and the rest of the ETC family for their support. www.jakestibbe.com
THE DIRECTOR BEN RAANAN (Director) is incredibly excited to return home to Ensemble Theatre, where he’s spent the last several years directing the ETC Apprentices in productions such as Failure: A Love Story, Antigone (born against.), Love and Information, and Crumble: Lay Me Down Justin Timberlake. Mr. Raanan is about to enter his final year as a Masters Candidate for Directing at DePaul University where he will be directing his thesis production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime this spring. He would like to thank Lynn, Shannon, and the ETC Apprentice Company for this exciting opportunity!
DIRECTOR’S NOTES What does it mean to be great? “The American Dream” has always been the foundation of our country, the idea that anyone can achieve greatness with enough hard work and perseverance. The problem is that “greatness” is an abstract concept. Some define it by wealth, others by family and friends, and some by power. What might be an ultimate goal for you might be completely inconsequential for me. I believe true greatness is not defined by an end product, but rather by the journey to achieve it. Think about the hundreds of people you come in contact with on a daily basis and the millions of impactful moments these relationships create. Each of these seemingly insignificant moments define who we are, for there is no great achievement without a great journey. Bob: A Life in Five Acts could not be more apropos for this company who have spent the entire year learning every facet of each other’s personalities. They have laughed, cried, and dreamed together. No matter where they go from here, their future achievements will have been molded by the relationships forged within this ensemble. In a time when many of us question the greatness of our country, I watch this ensemble create, and I am reminded that greatness is not only possible, but it is also here in front of us. -Ben Raanan
THE PLAYWRIGHT PE T E R S I N N N AC H T R I E B (Playwright) is a San Francisco-based playwright whose works include The Making of a Great Moment, A House Tour of the Infamous Porter Family Mansion with Tour Guide Weston Ludlow Londonderry, The Totalitarians, boom (TCG’s most produced play 2009-2010), BOB: A Life in Five Acts (2011 Humana Festival and the Barrie and Bernice Stavis Playwright Award), T.I.C. (Trenchcoat in Common), Hunter Gatherers (2007 ATCA/Steinberg New Play Award and 2007 Will Glickman Prize), Colorado, and Litter: The True Story of the Framingham Dodecutuplets. His work has been seen off-Broadway and across the country including at Ars Nova, Woolly Mammoth, SPF, Seattle Repertory, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Southern Rep, Kitchen Dog, and in the Bay Area at Z Space, A.C.T., Encore Theatre, Killing My Lobster, Marin Theatre Company, Impact Theatre, and the Bay Area Playwrights Festival. Mr. Nachtrieb holds a degree in Theater and Biology from Brown and an MFA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. He is an alumnus of New Dramatists and is Playwright in Residence at Z Space in San Francisco. www.peternachtrieb.com